1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a surgical apparatus for instrument insertion. More particularly, the invention relates to an attachment apparatus for readily securing an endoscopic surgical instrument to an endoscope for insertion within a body cavity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Endoscopic procedures have been rapidly developing over the past decade. These procedures often allow for the performance of surgical procedures with minimal trauma when compared to prior techniques requiring a large external opening to expose the internal organ or tissue requiring repair. In many instances, an endoscopic instrument is secured to the distal end of an endoscope for guiding the endoscopic instrument to the particular treatment site.
Minimally invasive procedures are desirable because such procedures can reduce pain and provide relatively quick recovery times as compared with conventional open medical procedures. Many minimally invasive procedures are performed with an endoscope (including without limitation laparoscopes). Such procedures permit a physician to position, manipulate, and view medical instruments and accessories inside the patient through a small access opening in the patient's body. Laparoscopy is a term used to describe such an “endosurgical” procedure employing an endoscope (often a rigid laparoscope). Laparoscopic procedures also commonly employ accessory devices that are inserted into a patient through trocars placed through the body wall.
Still less invasive treatments include those that are performed through insertion of an endoscope through a natural body orifice to a treatment site. Examples of this approach include, but are not limited to, cystoscopy, hysteroscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and colonoscopy. Many of these procedures employ the use of a flexible endoscope during the procedure. Flexible endoscopes often have a flexible, steerable section near the distal end that can be controlled by the user when utilizing controls at the proximal end.
Some flexible endoscopes are relatively small (1 mm to 3 mm in diameter), and may have no integral accessory channel (also called biopsy channels or working channels). Other flexible endoscopes, including gastroscopes and colonoscopes, have integral working channels having a diameter of about 2.0 mm to 3.5 mm for the purpose of introducing and removing medical devices and other accessory devices to perform diagnosis or therapy within the patient. As a result, the accessory devices used by a physician can be limited in size by the diameter of the accessory channel of the scope used. Additionally, the physician may be limited to a single accessory device when using the standard endoscope having one working channel.
While certain specialized endoscopes having large working channel are known and other specialized endoscopes having two working channels are known, these large diameter/multiple working channel endoscopes can be relatively expensive and can have an outer diameter that makes the endoscope relatively stiff, or otherwise difficult to intubate. As such, systems have been developed whereby the endoscopic instrument is secured to the exterior of the endoscope, minimizing the need for endoscopes with large passageways.
These endoscopic instruments are currently secured to an endoscope through utilization of surgical tape or sutures wrapped about both the instrument and the endoscope in a manner holding them together. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,080,663, 6,869,395 and 6,997,931, as well as WO 0166018, disclose prior attachment structures.
As those skilled in the art will certainly appreciate, these structures are less than desirable. The tape is generally not sterile and is difficult to cut and apply in a sterile field. The tape is also difficult to remove and/or reapply in a different orientation. As to the use of sutures, they are also difficult to use in securing an endoscopic instrument to an endoscope.
Another attachment structure is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0230095 to Stefanchik. In accordance with this commonly owned patent application, a track structure is utilized in attaching an endoscopic instrument to an endoscope. Some other devices rely on a friction fit between the device and the endoscope. These may be difficult to remove after the procedure. Some of these friction fit devices are tight when applied to the endoscope and SURGILUBE, a lubricant made specifically for surgical procedures, is applied as a lubricant to ease assembly of the attachment means. However, as the device is used the SURGILUBE dries out and becomes like glue making the removal even more difficult.
With this in mind, a need exists for an improved mechanism for securing an endoscopic instrument to an endoscope. The present invention provides such an apparatus.